Make it at home

Yield 2Hands-on 15 minTotal 15 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 600g whole cold-water prawns in shell, pre-boiled (Pandalus borealis if available)
  • 4 thick slices of light Swedish rye or pain de campagne
  • 60g Swedish butter, room temperature
  • 120g good homemade or store-bought mayonnaise
  • 1 lemon, halved
  • 1 small bunch dill
  • Maldon sea salt, black pepper
  • 1 cold pilsner per person, to accompany

Method

  1. Set the prawns out at room temperature for 10 minutes; ice-cold prawns hide their sweetness.
  2. Butter the bread generously to the edges. Do not toast it; the Gothenburg version is buttered fresh bread.
  3. Mound a third of the mayonnaise on each plate alongside the bread.
  4. Pile the prawns in a small mountain in the centre of each plate. Tuck dill sprigs through the pile.
  5. Cut a lemon half into wedges. Place one beside each plate.
  6. Eat standing if you can. Twist off each prawn head, pinch the tail, slide the meat free.
  7. Drag the prawn through mayonnaise, place on buttered bread, season with sea salt and pepper, squeeze of lemon.

Tip from the editors. The shells are part of the ritual; lay them out on the table as you go and sip the cold pilsner between batches. This is not a tidy meal.

Book a food experience

Tours, tastings and classes that match this page, bookable on GetYourGuide.

Browse every bookable food experience

Where to eat bohus raka (west coast prawns)

Bohus Raka (West Coast Prawns) in Gothenburg

Feskekorka Shrimp Stalls ★ 4.8

$$ Swedish SeafoodCentrum

The shrimp counters inside Feskekorka fish market serve Goteborg's signature street food: fresh West Coast prawns eaten standing at the counter.

OrderFresh Bohus prawns, Smoked salmon sandwich, Crayfish in season

Directions

Stora Saluhallen ★ 4.7

$$ MarketCentrum

Stora Saluhallen is Gothenburg's grand 19th-century indoor market at Kungstorget, housing over 40 traders selling West Coast seafood, Swedish charcuterie.

Directions

All Gothenburg signature dishes →

More cities are in research. Want bohus raka (west coast prawns) covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.

Browse all dishes →